Method of adjusting and holding the cage of railway-rails.



PATENTED OCT. 4,1904.

C. B. VOYNOW.

METHOD OF ADJUSTING AND HOLDING- THE GAGE OP RAILWAY RAILS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.23, 1904.

Wificeams: Q

Patented October 4, 190a.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CONSTANTINE B. VOYNOW. OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF ADJUSTING AND HOLDING THE GAGE OF RAILWAY-RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,402, dated October4, 1904. A li ti fil d February 23, 1904. Serial No. 194,818. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CoNs'rANTINE B. VOY- Now, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invent-ed a certain new and useful Improvement inMeans for Adjusting and Holding the Gage of Railway-Rails, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to means for accurately determining and thereafterpermanently maintaining the gage of railway-rails, and particularly ofthose on city tractionlines.

It has for its object the production of such means of a type that may beemployed with any type of equipment that will not call for specialimplements or skill in setting and that will be simple, efficient, andeconomical in manufacture. Heretofore it has been necessary to usespecial devices of this character to accord with the character of theequipment in each case. For electric roads employing overheadtrolley-wires tie-rods have been used; but for conduit systems thetie-rods have had to be cut, and special construction of yokes and otherpieces of apparatus has been necessary to secure the same, withattendant trouble and expense.

I attain my object by combining a rail-brace and tie in such manner thatwhile a solid abutment is produced at any desired point without specialskill on the part of the workman setting it an accurate adjustment canbe had of the rail in either direction and the rail then locked firmlyin position against any lateral displacement. 7,

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a plan view of a combined brace and tie-rod embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same with a rail connectedthereto and shown in section. Figs. 3 and I are respectively plan andside view of a modified form of the invention. Fig. 5 is a side view ofstill another modification of the invention.

In Figs. 1 and 2, A is a railway-rail of the type now usually employedon city tractionlines. These rails are usually laid upon cross- ,ties ofwood; but in some cases they are supported upon metal extensions of thecast yokes surrounding and supporting the conduit structure inwhich theconductors are carried for supplying current to the cars. In the onecase wood, in the other case metal, is the material of the supportingstructure; but in either case my invention is not only applicable, butis easily applied. It consists, essentially, of the brace B, solidlysecured to the bed structure and supplied with means to move and adjustthe rail and to lock the same in position when adjusted. Heretofore, sofar as I know, the only rail-braces in commercial use have been thosewhich are solidly set up against the rails, usually on the outside of acurve or switch, for the purpose of preventing spreading. It is quiteobvious that such braces can only be placed in position after the railhas been spiked down and that they require some degree of skill insetting because of the possibility of setting the rail in if thebrace-spikes are carelessly driven, the gage being thereby injuriouslyreduced. In such case the only way to remedy the trouble thus created isto pull the spikes, remove the brace, and set it'over. According to myinvention, however, all difficulties inherent in the old type of braceare obviated and adjustment is not only made easy, but accurate andpermanent. Moreover, in case of accidental displacement the rails can bereadjusted at any time without other tools than a wrench, it beingpresupposed that'paving materials or other surface obstructions arefirst removed. The brace B is preferably formed up out of heavy sheet orplate metal with a lower or foot flange b and a rising flange b,terminating in a vertical portion 6 which is provided with perforationsb and Z) for a purpose that will be described. In order to render thebrace perfectly rigid, a central rib b is formed up out of the body andof such shape that its side walls are in planes substantially at rightangles to those of the foot and rising flanges throughout, its lowervided on a central vertical line, and its two i halves I) and If arerelatively displaced or staggered during the forming operation. Thepurpose of this is to form two shoulders b and b Resting against theouter face of the part 7)" is a threaded nut (I, which lies snuglyagainst the shoulder 7), being thereby prevented from turning. Threadedinto the nut, but passing freely through the smooth-walled orifice l)"in the flange of the brace, is the bolt D, whose head lies upon theinside of the flange, as shown. The outer end of this bolt engages withand exerts pressure upon the web rt of the rail A, and as the bolt isscrewed home the effect is evidently to force the rail away from thebrace. Resting against the inner face of the brace-flange and lyingsnugly against the shoulder or offset 7; is the threaded nut (.l, withwhich engages the bolt D. This bolt passes not only through the opening5 of the flange 7/, but it also passes through a smooth-milled openingin the web a of the rail, its head lying upon the outside thereof. \Vhenthis bolt is screwed up, therefore, it tends to draw the rail A towardthe brace B.

In setting the device thus described the procedure is evidently simple.The rails having been drilled to receive the bolts 1). either before orafter being placed in position, the braces B are spiked down (if woodenties are used) or bolted (if iron construction is used,) so as to bringthe vertical flange 6 into approximately correct position. The distanceof this flange from the web of the rail must always be sufficient topermit of adjustment to some extent without reaching the nut (Z. Thelength of the bolts may be made anything desired, altl'lough we preferto have them short, as shown in the drawings. The brace having been set,the gage is determined in the usual or any desired way, and the rail" isadjusted thereto by reverse movements of the bolts D and I). \Vheu thedesired position of the rail has been accurately reachec W as, forinstance, by turning up the bolt I) While leaving the other loose theadjustment is made permanent by finally setting up the second bolttightly against the rail, the web a being then obviously rigidly heldbetween the head of bolt I) and the tip of bolt D against movement ineither direction.

In Figs. 3 and L 1 have shown a modification of the means for preventingturning of the nuts while manipulating the bolts. In

these figures instead of relatively displacing or staggering the twoportions of the vertical flange I) to form shoulders I produce small proecting flanges or l1ps b and 7; upon the upper end of the flange 7)these being turned over in opposite directions, so as to overlie therespective. nuts (Z (1, forming shoulders to prevent their turning.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a single bolt whose head D lies on the outside ofthe rail-web and which has a nut (Z screwed tightly home against theinside of the rail-Web, so that the bolt is firmly secured to the rail.Now by putting one or two nuts (Z (Z on the bolt and against the facesof the brace the rail may be forced in one direction or the other withbut the single bolt.

I am quite well aware that many changes and variations can be made inmatters of form and dimensions, material, and even by the substitutionof equivalents. All such changes and variations, however, I contemplateas being within the scope of my invention.

hat I claim, and desire to secure, is

1. The means for adjusting and holding the gage of railway-rails whichcomprises arigid abutment secured in proximity to the rail, a movablemember carried thereby and adapted to engage the rail to adjust thesame, together with locking means for the rail also carried upon theabutment, substantially as described.

2. The means for adjusting and holding the gage of railway-rails whichcomprises a rigid abutment secured in proximity to a rail, ascrew-threaded member movable longitudinally in the abutment to engageand move the rail, together with means to lock the same, substantiallyas described.

3. The means for adjusting and holding the gage of railway-rails whichcomprises a rigid abutment secured in proximity to but independently ofand not touching, a rail, a threaded member carried on the abutment anda threaded bolt to engage the same adapted also to engage and move therail, together with a locking device for the same, substantially asdescribed.

at. The means for adjusting and holding the gage of railway-rails whichcomprises a rigid abutment secured in proximity to a rail, movablemembers carried on said abutment and adapted to engage the rail to moveit in opposite directions, substantially as described.

The means for adjusting and holding the gage of railway rails whichcomprises a rigid abutment secured in proximity to a rail, a pair ofthreaded bolts carried upon said abutment and adapted to engage the railon opposite sides, and means to lock the same when adjusted by the jointaction of said bolts, substantiall y as described.

6. In means for adjusting and holding the gage of railway-rails, a bedor support for the rail, as T, a brace or abutment B secured thereto asby bolts C, said brace having a vertical double-shouldered portioncarrying nuts (Z and (Z on its opposite faces, bolts D and D Working insaid nuts but passing freely In testimony whereof I have hereunto setthrough the brace-flange, the heads of the my hand, in the presence oftwo subscribing bolts being oppositely disposed, and the ar- Witnesses,this 20th day of February, 1904.

rangernent such that bolt D' may be set up to CONSTAN'IINE B. VOYNOW.exert a pull on the rail A toward the brace, In presence of While thebolt D may exert a thrust on the WM. H. KENNEDY,

rail from the brace, substantially as described. (Dress. A. GALLAGHER.

